Because she’d always stood by what she believed, even though, once the information about the planted evidence came to light, everyone else rushed to apologize to him for getting it wrong. But she wouldn’t have known he was guilty, either, had she not studied so many psychopaths. Especially because Bishop was a bit of an anomaly. Most psychopaths—the kind who committed violent crimes and were actually caught—weren’t highly educated, didn’t have illustrious careers.

“It is the truth!” She had to convince him. That was the only way her child would have a chance. Not only would she do anything to save her baby, she also felt she owed it to Amarok to be sure that much of what they had survived.

“You may feel that way now, but as soon as I complied, you’d change your mind. I’m more confident in my own plan.”

“Which is…”

“You’re not in the mood to hear it.” He sounded irritable. “So go ahead and feel sorry for yourself. I’m going to go shopping and do a few other things while I still have a rental car.”

“You’d better let me go,” she said.

“Or…”

She hated the cocky lilt to his voice. “Amarok will find you, and if you’ve hurt me or his baby, he’ll make you pay.”

“I’ve dreamed about this moment for so long. And now you’re ruining it. You’re obviously not a very nice person.”

“I’m supposed to be happy about what you’re doing to me?”

“If you’re smart, you’ll make the most of it. I don’t like the way you’re making me feel. I won’t allow it. You’ll see.”

With that ominous ending, the slot closed, the bolt slid home and she slumped against the wall, sickened at the sight of what remained of her oatmeal.

Hilltop, AK—Sunday, 11:30 a.m. AKDT

Sure enough, the phone number on that pad in the conference room at Hanover House wasn’t his mother’s. He’d spent all night trying to trace it. It belonged to a burner phone, which was now defunct. Amarok had guessed it would be. Although he never called his mom these days, she did occasionally call him, and that wasn’t the number she used. She could’ve been on someone else’s phone, of course—her husband’s or even a friend’s—but since they were estranged, that was unlikely. Difficult phone calls required more privacy, and their discussions were never easy.

As soon as Amarok had seen his mother’s name and that unfamiliar number written in Evelyn’s hand, he’d known: This was how Bishop had pulled it off. This was how he’d drawn Evelyn out of the prison in the middle of the day. This was the reason she hadn’t told Amarok what she was doing. And this was the reason she didn’t have the appointment on her calendar or scheduled with Penny. She’d thought she was meeting his mother for a private conversation about him or at least giving his mother an audience. Evelyn had asked him, on more than one occasion, if he felt he might regret his decision not to invite Alistair to their wedding, so he knew it was something she’d been concerned about. And because of the wedding, it was entirely believable that Alistair would try to go around him and connect with her.